Precious Rasheeda Muhammad employs the power of true stories well told to build community through history.

الحَمْد لله

In May 2010, Coe College invited Precious to give the Baccalaureate address, a first for a Muslim woman at Coe. The next day the college awarded Precious an Honorary Doctorate for her international work building community across religious and cultural divides.

scholarship

From Morocco to Australia to the United States of America to England; from encyclopedia entries to book chapters to exhibits; from panels to lectures to keynotes, from Princeton to the Smithsonian; and so much more, Precious has used her scholarship in diverse ways in service to building community across seemingly intractable divides.

Frustrated with the paucity of scholarship on Islam in America, Precious founded and spearheaded the Islam in America conferences at Harvard from 2000 to 2001, to educate the Harvard community and general public about the growth and development of Islam in America and to promote tolerance, fellowship and understanding. The “first-rate” conference gained international recognition and motivated many scholars, practitioners and religious leaders to organize similar events. For more than three years after Precious’ graduation, students at Harvard worked together with various departments, organizations, faculty, and staff at Harvard to carry on the conference.

leadership

Whether founding and spearheading an innovative history conference at one of the world's most competitive academic institutions, or helping to plan an interfaith event for a world audience, Precious has extensive experience developing and leading successful programs and projects.

Precious served a significant role in planning the historic 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions held in Melbourne, Australia—the largest interfaith gathering in the world. There were over 6000 attendees with over 500 programs/sessions across seven days.

service

From speaking at a maximum-security prison, as an NAACP Prison Branch MLK keynote speaker, to providing pastoral care and counseling at a 770-bed hospital, as a student chaplain, Precious carefully chooses her projects based on how well they fit into her commitment to being a servant of the people for the betterment human condition.

"Precious Rasheeda Muhammad has impressed audiences while skillfully educating them on Islam in America with great eloquence and competence. The depth of her knowledge and proficiency belie her age. Her combination of intelligence, scholarship and passion is a winning formula."

Performing poetry in London, England.

After a tense election, helping to build community.

A case curated by Precious for the Children's Museum of Manhattan's "America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far" exhibit. You can't see it in this picture, but there are also buttons that correspond with items in the case. You can push the button and hear Precious's voice explain the history of each piece. Also, the frame on the bottom right is a digital one; it cycles through several historical photos with detailed captions included.

"Precious Rasheeda Muhammad is a first-rate scholar who has quickly established herself as an authority on the history of Islam in America, especially with regard to the African American community. At Harvard, she worked tirelessly with the Department of African and African American Studies and the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research to organize film series, exhibitions, and conferences on American Islam. A researcher who recovered a major autobiographical text and a natural teacher, Precious Muhammad is a rising star in a field which will only grow more important in the 21st century."

This 20-panel exhibit—researched and completed for the Department of State—includes the pioneering engagement of some of the key founding fathers before they became Presidents of the United States of America; hence the start date of 1776 instead of 1789 when the first president took office.

Precious contributed to this 2014 edition of the US Department of State publication about American Muslims: her research informed the "Islam and the United States" section (pp.12-17) & she wrote the section "Living Islam in America" (pp.48-53).

The preeminent Publishers Weekly, “widely recognized as the [publishing] industry’s publication of record,” describes Precious’s chapter, “To Be Young, Gifted, Black, American, Muslim, And Woman,” in the book Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak, as one of the “best” and “most absorbing essays” … in an anthology that “opens the door for other writers to explore the important and understudied topic of Muslim American women.”

"Precious Muhammed is a veritable treasure trove of information on the location of images that illustrate the Muslim-American experience. The curiosity and passion she brings to her research make her a sheer delight to work with."

Written by Precious Rasheeda Muhammad and distributed to hundreds of policymakers and change-makers in Washington,D.C., including members of the United States Congress and White House officials.

"Precious Rasheeda Muhammad’s work has contributed so much to the discussion and education of the general public about the nature of Islamic practice both here in the U.S. and abroad. Her work is critical to creating greater understanding and tolerance of an important cultural group that has recently come under much scrutiny. We have been proud to assist her in crafting her organizational strategy, and creating her publishing company."

"Precious Muhammad is a wealth of knowledge and a well versed individual. An eloquent speaker, Ms. Muhammad was truly an asset to our panel discussion on Muslim American Women. If she is not already on your calendar, book her now for she is highly sought after."

Published in The Virginian-Pilot.

Princeton University Lecture: "Muslims and the Making of America: The African American Contribution Unveiled"

In addition to curating a case for the Children's Museum of Manhattan's "America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far" exhibit, Precious also served as an advisor to the project, helping to shape the American Muslim narrative aspect of the exhibit.